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Casey Kasem Teaches Lessons On End Of Life Planning And Elder Abuse

It appears that the life of famed Top 40 Countdown host Casey Kasem is nearly at an end. Yesterday, a Los Angeles Judge ruled that Casey Kasem’s daughter, Kerri Kasem, could suspend the artificial delivery of food and water to Casey due to his grave suffering.

Specifically, according to the Los Angeles Times, Kerri Kasem’s attorney filed documents with the court reporting the doctors’ conclusion that “continuation of artificial nutrition and hydration is not in the patient’s best interests because it will at best prolong the dying process for him and will certainly add suffering to an already terribly uncomfortable dying process.”

On Tuesday, the same Judge granted the request of Casey’s wife, Jean Kasem, who asked that Kerri be ordered to resume infusions of food, water and medicine for the ailing Casey. He has been hospitalized in critical condition with sepsis (serious infections that have reached the blood stream), other infections, bed sores, and late-stage dementia from Lewy Body disease, among other complications.

That ruling was short lived, however. Another court hearing was held on an emergency basis yesterday, during which the Judge reversed his prior decision after reviewing the medical records. He gave permission to Kerri to allow Casey’s suffering to end, by removing his artificial life support.

Jean Kasem, Casey’s wife of 34 years, was so upset she stormed out of the courtroom, yelling “You have blood on your hands!” Her attorney then said, “You just imposed a death sentence.” Jean has issued frequent dramatic statements of this nature. During the prior day’s hearing, Jean’s attorney accused Casey’s daughter, Kerri, of deliberately hastening Casey’s death so that she could cash in on a large life insurance policy — a charge which Kerri’s attorney strongly refuted.

Casey Kasem poses for photographers after receiving the Radio Icon award during The 2003 Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison, File)

The big question that will need to be explored, likely after Casey passes, is how he deteriorated to this critical condition so rapidly. Contrary to Jean’s attention-grabbing accusations, she — not Casey’s daughter — will be the one to answer this difficult question. Her management of Casey’s care in the last few weeks has been troubling, to say the least.

Casey Kasem’s Rapid Descent Into Critical Condition

On May 6th, Kerri and her sister were allowed to visit Casey in the nursing home he resided in. They found him doing fairly well and in good spirits, despite his confusion, memory loss, and trouble speaking. Physically, at least, he appeared to be fine, according to Kerri at the time.

Just after that visit, however, Casey Kasem was suddenly missing. Jean had secretly removed him from the nursing home, even skipping a court hearing about Casey’s care. Because of Casey’s unexplained whereabouts, Kerri was given legal authority by the Judge to make his medical and other decisions, through a conservatorship.

Kerri reached out to authorities in a frantic search to find her father, eventually learning that he had been staying with friends in the State of Washington. Jean reportedly took him there “on vacation.”

Kerri was finally able to see him again on June 1st, after a Judge in Washington ordered she could visit and have Casey evaluated by a physician. Kerri arrived with paramedics, concerned over Casey’s well-being. She found Casey to be in serious condition, and instructed that her father be taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Jean became so irate, she yelled at Kerri in front of several witnesses and threw a pound of raw meat towards her.

Jean explained her action by telling NBC News that she had been following what was (according to her) a King James verse: “In the name of King of David, I threw a piece of raw meat into the street in exchange for my husband to the wild rabid dogs.” Jean complained that Casey was being ripped from his family and was very upset to leave, even though he could not talk or otherwise communicate.

When he was hospitalized, Casey was found to have serious bed sores and infections in his lungs and bladder. These are conditions that typically can be prevented with proper care (such as that available in a good nursing home), and can potentially be fatal to someone of Casey’s condition and advanced age (82).

Indeed, based on the events of this week, it certainly appears that Casey will not survive. Instead of striving to continue efforts to keep him alive (and suffering), Kerri gave permission for comfort care to be provided. While Jean obviously blames Kerri for this, it was Jean’s recent actions that may have caused his terminal condition. If he had remained in the nursing home, bed sores and infections could have been prevented, or at least prompt medical care could have been provided when they were first discovered.

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